12.23.2009

So I've had a couple of discussions about this shit right here and I have also read a couple of commentaries on it as well. I just want to know what do yall think this picture is saying?

Again, we need to be critical about the images that are fed to us by people like Mr. West and Lady GaGa. These are two hugecelebrities right now, we buy into their images constantly. When a star is presented to their public, they are not just presenting to us their music, they are presenting their way of thinking, their personality, their style and their mistakes. People like Kanye and Lady GaGa are influencers on our generation, pop culture, our world and our society. When we start to think about images such as this, not as what are they trying to sell us but how are they trying to sell it to us, that's when we can start to hold the images we see in the media accountable. In this image, we see a female body, that falls into what a typical acceptable body looks like in mass white culture. We also see a black man, who obviously falls into the background of this image and is used to contrast Lady GaGa's overly white body. Seemingly, she is being saved from some sort of evil. In the context of feminism, the last thing we need is another woman being saved, especially by a man. However, in the context of feminism and race, the last thing we need is a white woman being saved by a ignorant, blinded by love, man-monster, which Kanye is in this picture. This picture enforces the myth of black bodies for sacrifice of the white dream. Kanye is unimportant, Lady GaGa is the perfect, innocent, white woman.

So today, while on my beloved Twiitta (read: Twitter) I started to have a conversation about the relationship between womyn and queer men. Often times, womyn get harrassed by gay men. Womyn get a constant barrage of touches, feelys, lingering looks, luring eyes, foul getsures, and snide comments from gay men. Its as if they feel that they can touch and grope any part of a woman's body with a openness and confidence that I just don't see from heterosexual men; touching of the breats, touching of the hair, giving naughty comments, etc. It seems as if gay men feel that they have a type of access that heterosexual men don't have to womyn's bodies, as if, because they are not sexually attracted to womyn, then grabbing her breasts and commenting on how sexy they are is harmless. Of course heterosexual men also feel that they have an entitlement to womyn's bodies which is evidenced in sexual violence, telling womyn what they should wear, trying to limit the sexual sovereignty of womyn, etc. However, I find it evident that there is a different type of false ownership taking place between gay and heterosexual men and womyn's bodies. Most often, gay men are more open and friendly with their touching and inappropriate comments, while heterosexual men might save the same actions for a sexual scene or mean it in the disrespectful way. Gay men usually do not have the intentions of harming or disrespecting the woman in any way when they touch, unwelcomingly. Its usually a way that they show they like the woman, in a unsexual way, albeit.

The black gay male culture is one that I have a supreme respect and interest in. In black males, we see a culture that is totally different from a lot of cultures that we see in American society. However, womyn get a constant barrage of yelling, passes, unwanted touches, etc. from random men. Womyn are constantly aware of their bodies, unlike men. From years of being subjected to the 'male gaze', womyn see their bodies as a man sees them, on display, as sexual objects. A quick trip outside turns into a fashion show because womyn are aware that they are being watched by the supreme spectators, men. Sadly, it seems, gay men also fall into this category. When a gay man feels that they can touch or make sexual-esque comments towards a woman, it makes womyn even more aware of how her body appears to men, even someone who may not be attracted to her sexually.

Many womyn safe with gay men because they feel that this is one type of man who is not interested in her sexually, but when gay men cross the limit and invite themselves into the personal space of a woman that safety is abandoned. Womyn constantly have to deal with being sexual objects for men, anyone from friends to family members probably have shown a sexual interest or gesture towards any given woman, its tiring to always been seen as a sexual object. It doesn't matter whether a gay man is sexually interested in the opposite gender or not, crossing the line is crossing the line.

12.18.2009

Dr. Dre is largely responisble for the influential and successful careers of Eminem, Warren G, Snoop Dogg, and Lady of Rage, etc. The Chronic, Dr. Dre's debut album is highly regarded as the best produced of all time. In 2001, Dre released his follow-up to The Chronic; 2001, the album was certified 6x platinum. Both albums are seen as essential to any hip hop collection. He was a pioneer in West Coast Hip Hop and created G-Funk with his characteristic sampling of Parliament Funkadelic, and George Clinton's music and use of heavy, slow beats. " The Chronic is still the hip-hop equivalent to Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. It's the benchmark you measure your album against if you're serious."-Kanye West

12.11.2009

Well, techinally I've been loving Mos Def for a while now, not only is he fine and sexy (in a intellectual, take no prisoners type of way) but his most recent album, The Estatic was so good. Mos Def, in the age, when no one even watches music videos anymore, (or is that just me?) and VH1, MTV & BET haven't played videos in what seem like ages; has released two AMAZINGLY creative videos. Nowadays, all we get in videos are booty shaking and a constant flashing of feigned wealth, so its good to see some that actually focus on the artists. Big ups Mos!

Side Note

...while enjoying this blog, you might encounter subject material that you don't agree with and/or find offensive or triggering, while I will do my best to censor material that needs to be censored, I do not believe it over zealous censorship, however remember what may be offensive to you, may be liberating to another person, please respect those views. If you do find something offensive please comment on it and tell me why, so that we may spark a conversation about your opinions, instead of just shutting down the medium, I will take all and any view points into consideration, unless they are of blantant ignorance, which is why ALL comments are moderated ALL the time. Also, readers should be aware that while I may post material that is important to this blog, that does not mean that I necessarily agree whole-heartedly with those viewpoints. Questionss?? Just ask.